Geared transmission coupling



Dec. 3, 1940. E. R. GASSER 2,223,413

7 GEARED TRANSMISSION COUPLING Filed Sept. 15, 1939 2 ZVEZ ZZUZ EM/L 19. Gnsssc.

Patented Dec. 3, 1 940 UNITED STATES 2,223,413 GEARED TRANSMISSION COUPLING Emil n. vGasser,entrain, N. y., assignor tciFarrel- Birmingham Company, Incorporated, Ansonia, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut r Application September 15,1939, Serial @Nc'.'294,9s9

2 Claims. (Cl. 74-2 98) l.

My invention relates to transmission couplings of the geared type adapted particularly for transmitting driving power from driving sources rtatable only in one direction, such as internal combustion engines. My improved coupling is of particular utility in connection with marine propulsion systems where .it would replace the conventional type coupling between the driving source and .the reduction gear set driving the propeller so that the rotation of the propeller could bereadily reversed, my improved coupling being designed for adjustment for direct mechanical transmission or for reversal of transmission direction.

Among the important features of the invention are simplified means for controlling the operation'of the coupling, suchas setting for idling or non-transmission, setting for connection of the coupling halves by locked gearing for direct mechanical coupling connection between the drivingiand driven elements thereof, and setting for relative gear rotation for reversal of driving direction.

The various features of the'invention are disclosed on the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical diarn'etral sectionof the coupling.

'The driving member A of 'the coupling body comprises a disk l0 having the inwardly directed cylindrical peripheral flange II, and the outwardly extendinghub [2, which hub is secured as by a key I 3 to the driving shaft 14 drive'nnby a driving source or assembly capable of rotating the-shaft in one direction only; A suitable'bear ing support l5'is provided for the shaft.

The coupling frame-element B comprises the two parts 1'6 and H, the part [6 having the radially extending fiange l8iabutted by the part I! and rigidly secured thereto asiby bolts l9,"the peripheral faces of the flange l8 and the part I! respectively together forming a cylindrical surface'for engagement therewith of brake means 320 which may be in the form of a brake Shoe or a brake band.

' The part I! comprises a hub "2| receivingthe inner end of the shaft f4, andat the outerend of the hub is the circular flange; 22 extending adjacent the inner side of the wall 10 of the coupling body part A. The hub2l forms abearing support on the shaft I4 for the inner 'part 11 of the coupling frame element B. The outer part I6 of the element B receives and is journall-ed on the hub 23 extending outwardly from a gear 24 disposed between the parts I6 and H, the hub being secured, as by a key 25, to the driven shaft26 for which suitable bearingsupport 2lis provided. The :shaft 26 is in axial alignment with'the driving shaft M and at its inner end may be provided with -the.bore128 to receive the reduced inner end29 of the shaft l4,

the shaft ends having thus inter-bearing connection for maintaining their axial alignment. As shown, the bearing hub 2| for the coupling frame element B receives the inner ends of both of the shafts.

The shaft 26 is connected with mechanism to'be driven. When the coupling is used in a marine propulsion system, the shaft would connect with a driven pinion meshing with a gear for driving the propeller shaft (not flange ll of the coupling framemember A. "Ina termediate the gears 30 and 3l, each unit hasja supporting part 33'for bearing engagement in the bearing'34 provided in the inner wall oft-he part I'Lof the coupling frame element B. The gears 30 andji and thesupporting part 33 may be. separate elements secured on acommon shaft,

or, as shown, thegears'and the supporting part:

may be part .of an integral structure provided with thesupporting shaft ends 35 and 3E. The shaft end 35.,of each unit is journalled in a recess3'l' in the part l6 ofthejcoupling frame element B; while the shaft-end 36 of each unit eX- tends through. and is journalled in a bearing" passageway 31-, theseflbearing. passageways being provided in the outer wall 22 of the coupling frame element B. y

Mounted on the hub I2 of thecoupling frame element A is a clutch plate 38 extending from a sleeve 39 receiving the hub I2, the sleeve being slidable in axial direction on the hub. The clutch plate has clutch pins 40 secured thereto and extending therefrom through the passage ways in the wall IU of the coupling body element A. The purpose of the pins is toclutch or connect the elements A and B directly together ,for rotation of the element B with the element A. As on thestructure shown, there are three transmission gearing units C,,;I' have shown three pins 40 provided and spaced 120 apart, and three passageways 4| likewise spaced, and in the ends of the shafts 36 for the units I have pro vided recesses or bores 42 for receiving the ends 10 mounted on the bearing structure I 5 for the shaft I4. Upon swing of the lever 43 the sleeve I 39 and the clutch plate 38 will be shifted. In the position shown, the clutch plate is in its inner position with the clutch pins engaging in the recesses of the transmission gearing units C, and in this position the clutch structureis yieldably held as by a spring pressed detent pin 48 engaging in a notch 49 in the hub l2. When the clutch plate is shifted outwardly towithdraw the clutch pins from the recesses 42 in the transmission gearing units, the detent pin 48 will engage in the outer detent notch 50 to holdthe clutch structure in its unclutching position,

l Describing now the'o'peration, when the clutch 25 plate 38 is withdrawn for withdrawal of the clutch pins 4l1fromwthe coupling element B, the coupling" framecel'ement'A will alone rotate with the shaft l4, andfthescoupling will be running idle.

For forward driving of the driven shaft 26,ithe clutch mechanism is shifted for clutching'to- 'gether of the clutch frame elements A and B by the clutch pins 40', and the brake 20 is released. Both frameelements A .and- B will now rotate with the shaft l4 without any relative rotation and therefore the transmission'gear units .0 will be locked against rotation and'will travel, only bodily with the'elemen'tsA and B,- but as the gears: 30;are inmeshwiththegear 24 on the 40 'drivenshaft 26,1the -gearing units Cewill act as keys for connecting the rotating coupling frame structure with the gear24 for rotation thereof and of the shaft 26 in thesame direction and at the same speed of thedrive shaft 14, the two 45 shafts being directly mechanically coupled together. i a 7 For driving the shaftv 26 in reverse direction, the clutch mechanism'is operated to unclutch the. coupling frame elements A andB forjrela- 50 .tive rotation'thereof an'd the brake structure 20 is set to hold the fr'ameelement B against rotation. ,The gear, units Cwill thenbe held against bodily travel, andasthe frame element Arotates with the. drive shaft l4, the engagement of *55jits internal gear 32 with the gears 3 l of, the transmission gear units, will cause rotation of the gear units and rotation by the gears 30 of the units of the gear 24 on the driven shaft 25, and this, shaft will be driven in reverse direction; By dimensioning of the relative diameters of the various gears, or,by providing a diiferent number of teeth on the gears 13! and 3| of the gear units, the speed ratio of the driven shaft relative to that of the driving shaft can be as desired for reverse drive of the driven shaft. In the arrangement shown, the reverse drive speed 'ofthe shaft 26 isniore than the forward drive thereof; Ithusproduce acompact, simple and efficient =70 transmission coupling which may be set for directly mechanically-coupling the drive shaft to a driven shaft for forward drive thereof, and which may be set for reverse drive of the driven shaft at a different speed, with the transmission gear units locked against rotation and acting merely as keys during the direct forward driving, but being rotatable for effecting the reverse driving of the driven shaft.

I have shown a practical and efiicient embodiment of the features of my invention, but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described, as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 7

I claim as follows:

1. A transmission coupling comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft in axial alignment, a driving frame mounted on said driving shaft to rotate therewith and providing an internal gear, a driven gear secured on said driven shaft, transmission gearing elements each comprising a gear meshing with s'aidinternal gear and axgear meshing with said driven gear, a coupling frame journalled on said driven gear and on the opposed ends of said shafts and providing bearing supports for said transmission gearing elements, coupling pins onsaid driving frame, said transmission gearing elements having recesses, means on said driving frame operable to shiftsaid pins into said recesses whereby to lock said frames against relative rotation and to cause said transmission gearing elements to function as keys for rotating said driven gear and shaft in one direction, and means for holding said coupling frame against rotation while said driving frame is rotated whereby the rotation of said driving frame iinter'n'algear will cause rotation of said transmission gearing elements for rotation of said drivengear and shaft, in reverse direction.

' 2. A transmission coupling-comprising adrive shaft and a driven shaft in ,axial alignment, a driving'frame keyed to the drive shaft for re,- tation therewith and providing an internal gear, a driven gear keyed to said driven shaft, transmission "gearing units each comprising a gear meshing with said internal gear and a gear meshing with said driven gear, a .coupling frame having an inner wall, an, outer wall and an intermediate wall, bearing supports in said outer wall for journalling said transmission gearing units at their outerv ends, bearing passageways .in said inner wall for journalling said transmission gearing elements at their inner ends,'bear- -ing supports on said intermediatewall for journalling said transmission gearing elements intermediate the gears thereof, abearing hub joining said inner and intermediate walls for receiving the opposed ends of said shafts, pins on said driving frame, said transmission gearing units having recesses at their inner ends for receiving said pins, means on said drivingframe shiftable for projecting said pins into said recesseswhereby to interlock said frames for operation of said transmission gearing units as keys to rotate said driven gear and shaft in one direction, and

-means for holding said couplingframe against rotation while said driving frame is rotated whereby said transmission gearing units will be rotated for rotationof' said driven gear and shaft in reverse direction.

' EMIL' R. GASSER. 

